


Bruised

by bonk



Category: Batwoman (Comic), DCU, DCU - Comicverse
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-13
Updated: 2012-02-13
Packaged: 2017-10-31 02:25:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/338857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bonk/pseuds/bonk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kate and Renee catch up over a bit of boxing. A simple tag to Batwoman #5.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bruised

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to run with the idea that there's always a little truth in Kate's lies to Maggie. I loved the idea of Kate knowing how to (and participating) in boxing and just had to get this out of my system. There's no true romance-y stuff here to make this a shippy fic, unless you read between the lines, of course.
> 
> Dedicated to my muse and my Batwoman, whose excellent timing interrupted the writing of this for a short bit.

"Didn't think you'd make it." It's Kate's way of saying hello, with the slight tug of her cherry red lips and the quirk of an eyebrow. She's got a dufflebag slung over one shoulder and some awful winter coat on, pink and fur-lined, that probably cost more than an entire month's rent for Renee. 

Renee pulled a final wrap around her right hand, already dressed in sweats and trainers with her gloves draped around her shoulders. "I'm not the one who's late," Renee answers coyly, standing from the bench and tossing a towel at Kate's face. She grinned as the redhead snapped it out of the air, narrowing her eyes lightheartedly back at her. "Don't keep me waiting."

 

She's shadowboxing when Kate finally ducks under the ropes, wearing a ratty GCPD tee that Renee doesn't recognize and Renee feels a pang of something indistinguishable once she realizes why.

"Ready?" Renee asks, bobbing back and forth on the balls of her feet at a brisk pace. 

Kate straightens and meets her halfway at the center, flexing her hands inside of her gloves and getting a feel for the motions. She offers Renee a smirk, rolling her shoulders and cracking her neck off to one side. "Are you?" 

"That's the question, isn't it?" 

Renee reaches out and taps Kate's offered glove before bouncing back and settling into a stance; fists up, defensive. Kate always makes the first move, so predictable, and Renee's prepared, spotting the hook from the right side before Kate even throws it. Her forearm's there and Kate's glove smacks pathetically against it. 

Kate exhales a hiss and Renee finds herself amused that she's already frustrated. 

They haven't done this dance in months; Kate too busy with "things", as her excuse went, and Renee off skipping around the globe on business with the Inc. 

She throws her first shot as she ducks under Kate's second, snaking upward and ghosting Kate's shoulder.

The redhead winces visibly and Renee makes note that there must be a bruise there--a solid one, otherwise Kate wouldn't have reacted from a blow that gentle. She feels fleeting concern, but Kate's a big girl. She doesn't need Renee to take care of her, after all.

When Renee falls back into her stance. Kate makes another attempt, swinging for her head. Renee avoids it narrowly, throwing a punch in retaliation that Kate almost takes full to the face.

"Your stance is sloppy," she chastises with a tone of voice that sounds far more like that of a teacher. She ducks under the ensuing swing, exhaling in a burst and throwing a sharp punch upward.

Kate takes it hard to the gut. "Oof--"

"You're telegraphing your moves." Renee bounces back with a small hop, thumping her gloves together and grinning a bit, adrenaline pumping from the solid hit. She loves having the upper hand on Kate--loves feeling young again, like she was still the star beat cop of Gotham's Finest. It feels _good_ to be fighting again--fighting in a situation that wasn't life-or-death or involving masks or villains or anything. Just a little boxing between two old friends who once were something more.

It used to be a monthly tradition when Renee was still on the force as a way to keep sharp on her hand-to-hand skills. 

When things started to sour, it worked out the tension between the two of them--words unspoken said instead through blocks and blows. Kate had years of experience in the ring on Renee, who learned in police academy, but Renee had several pounds on Kate and unmatched martial arts experience. Even Kate's time as Batwoman couldn't quite compare to the time Renee put into bar fights and back alley brawls. And without the high tech arsenal, the Question had to resort to more traditional tactics.

Some time ago they had revived the tradition, partially as a means for keeping sharp against the criminals on the street, but mostly for keeping up with each other.

Kate regains her composure after a pause, inhaling deeply and narrowing her eyes at Renee. "You don't have to be so smug about it." She throws another punch, hoping to take Renee off guard this time, but the brunette again saw her coming and dodged effortlessly.

Renee breathes a laugh and raises her eyebrows. "Something's up with you, I can tell from how you're fighting." She weaves, sending a jab at Kate that gets swatted away. "It usually isn't this easy. I know the Colonel taught you better than this."

The strike hit her out of nowhere. Only after it connected did Renee process it, that damned Haymaker that Kate was so good at throwing. She never saw it coming--not even the way it flashed in Kate's eyes and ignited when it struck true. It hits Renee solid and she falls off balance, caught only temporarily by the ropes before dropping heavily to the mat. She stares, eyes wide with surprise at Kate as she tastes blood pooling in her cheek.

_Oh._

Kate's lips tug into a smirk as she throws a towel at Renee, not bothering to offer her a hand up. "Looks like coffee's on you, Renee."


End file.
